The Pirates are going through easily the roughest stretch of their season. The team has lost nine games in a row, and dropped from first to fourth in the NL Central.
Now they head to Miami for a four game series, where the Marlins sit 42-33 and in second place in the NL East. I’ll be in town to cover that series, and will have the recaps for all of the games in Pirates Prospects Live. Mitch Keller will take the mound tonight, hoping to put an end to the recent losing streak.
Bryan Reynolds has been placed on the Injured List.
Wilbur Miller has the minor league recaps tonight, where Sean Sullivan is taking the mound for Altoona.
PIRATES (34-39) AT MIAMI
Game Time: 6:40 PM EST
Pirates Starter: Mitch Keller, RHP (8-3, 3.62)
Marlins Starter: Braxton Garrett, LHP (3-2, 3.88)
Pirates Lineup:
Night 1 in Miami.
Marlins Lineup:
Great series starting today!
Who’s coming to support?INDIANAPOLIS (30-40) VS COLUMBUS
Game Time: 7:05 PM EST
Projected Starter: Cam Alldred, LHP (2-1, 3.46)
Latest Features:6/21: Changeup Helps Jared Jones In Strong Triple-A Debut
6/7: Aaron Shackelford adjusts swing and relocates power
6/6: Carmen Mlodzinski improves all the way with aggressive approachALTOONA (33-31) VS BOWIE
Game Time: 6:00 PM EST
Projected Starter: Sean Sullivan, RHP (2-0, 2.87)
Latest Features:6/22: Power Continues To Come Through For Liover Peguero
6/9: Jared Jones Continues Incredible Development With Altoona
6/1: Matt Gorski Displays Athleticism And VersatilityGREENSBORO (35-28) VS WINSTON-SALEM
Game Time: 6:30 PM EST
Projected Starter: TBA
Latest Features:6/15: Anthony Solometo Promotion A Win For 2021 Draft Class
6/14: Bubba Chandler Looking To Limit Big Innings
6/4: Braxton Ashcraft Showing Velocity and Control in Return From Tommy JohnBRADENTON (35-29) AT LAKELAND
Game Time: 11:00 AM EST
Projected Starter: TBA
Latest Features:6/20: Termarr Johnson: Patience Brings Career Day At The Plate
6/10: Jack Brannigan Continues Hot Streak With Another Home Run
6/9: Ryan Harbin: Sinker/Slider Mix Dominating Single-A HittersFCL PIRATES (9-3)
Game Time: 12:00 PM EST
Projected Starter: TBA
Latest Features:6/16: Is This The Year For A Solomon Maguire Breakout?
6/12: Pirates 2023 Minor League Preview: FCL Pirates
6/11: Pitching Depth Continues To Grow With Jun-Seok Shim DebutDSL PIRATES BLACK (5-7)
Game Time: 11:00 AM EST
Projected Starter: TBA
Latest Features:**Pirates 2023 Minor League Previews: Dominican Summer League Pirates
DSL PIRATES GOLD (7-5)
Game Time: 11:00 AM EST
Projected Starter: TBA
Latest Features:**Pirates 2023 Minor League Previews: Dominican Summer League Pirates
THE NEW PROSPECT WATCH
With all of our game reports now going into this daily article, the Prospect Watch has been repurposed as a daily look at three prospects throughout the system. Check the site each day at noon for the latest edition. We’ll keep the archives updated here.
6/21: Termarr Johnson, Connor Scott, Enmanuel Terrero
6/20: Cal Mitchell, Travis MacGregor, Alessandro Ercolani
6/19: Henry Davis, Bubba Chandler, Julian Bosnic
6/18: Jared Jones, Matt Gorski, Tony Blanco Jr.
6/17: Liover Peguero, Dominic Perachi, Carlos Mateo
6/16: Kyle Nicolas, Anthony Solometo, Jack Brannigan
6/15: Shalin Polanco, Abrahan Gutierrez, Will MatthiessenDAILY PIRATES NEWS
Anthony Murphy looked at the continued power from Liover Peguero. If you’re looking for a top prospect who could come up from Altoona and impact the Pirates this year, I think Peguero could be the guy.
**Pirates Prospects Daily: Power Continues To Come Through For Liover Peguero
Wilbur Miller details some young Bradenton Marauders hitters who are making progress this year.
**Young Bradenton Hitters Making Progress
More Recent Pirates Features
6/18: The Book on Henry Davis
6/17: Carmen Mlodzinski Becomes First Cherington Pick To Reach Big Leagues
6/15: Where Are The Hitting Prospects in the Pittsburgh Pirates Farm System?
6/14: The Book on Osvaldo Bido
6/11: Interview With Andrew McCutchenPIRATES RECAP
Check back at the end of the night for all of the daily results throughout the system, or, join the discussion in the comments if you’re following Live.
By Tim Williams
Final Score: Marlins 6, Pirates 4
Player of the Game: Mitch Keller, RHP (7 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 5 K)
Recap:For a moment, it looked like the Pirates were going to snap their ten game winning streak. Mitch Keller turned in one of his best starts in awhile, giving up one run in seven innings of work. He left with a 2-1 lead, and the Pirates supported him in the top of the eighth with two more runs. Unfortunately, the bullpen allowed five runs in the bottom half of the inning, leading to the tenth straight loss.
Carlos Santana got the Pirates on the board in the fourth inning. He brought in Connor Joe with an RBI double. He then stole third base with two outs, and ended up taking home on a wild throw to the bag. That’s not the recommended move with two outs, but it paid off for Santana here.
In the eighth inning, the Pirates got solo home runs from Henry Davis and Ke’Bryan Hayes. The homer from Davis was his first homer of his MLB career. Hayes had a few balls that were lifted, hitting a double to left earlier in the game.
The bottom of the eighth revealed the shortage in the bullpen for the Pirates. Dauri Moreta came on with a three run lead, but quickly loaded the bases with a double, a walk, and a single. The Pirates turned to Carmen Mlodzinski, who was in a difficult situation for a rookie: Bases loaded and no outs with a three run lead in the eighth. A single through the middle added two runs for the Marlins. Mlodzinski got a ground out, but gave up a three run homer in the next at-bat to Garrett Cooper, giving the Marlins a lead they wouldn’t relinquish.
The last time the Pirates had a ten game losing streak was June 16, 2021. They reached a nine game losing streak last year on June 14th, after a double header loss. June isn’t their month.
PIRATES PROSPECT WATCH
By Wilbur Miller
TRIPLE-A: INDIANAPOLIS
Final Score: Indianapolis 6, Columbus 2
Player of the Game: Miguel Andujar 3-for-4, 2B, BB
Recap:Indianapolis got a solid start from Cam Alldred and beat Columbus, 6-2. The win was just Indy’s third in its last 15 games.
Alldred went six innings for the second time in a row. In fact, in both games he allowed five hits and two runs. In this one he walked three and struck out four.
Indy got a run in the second when Canaan Smith-Njigba singled, stole second and third, and scored on a fielder’s choice. They went ahead for good in the third when Ryan Vilade drove in two with a bases-loaded single, then two fly balls brought in a third run. Miguel Andujar drove in the last two with a double in the fourth and a single in the ninth.
Andujar finished with three hits and a walk, and Smith-Njigba had two plus a walk, as well as the two steals. Nick Gonzales had a triple and a walk, and Endy Rodriguez had a single and two walks.
DOUBLE-A: ALTOONA
Final Score: Bowie 9, Altoona 8
Player of the Game: Liover Peguero 1-for-4, 2B, BB, 2 SB
Recap:Altoona fell behind 7-1 and 9-6, then made comeback attempts that fell short in a loss to Bowie.
Sean Sullivan, in his second game off the injured list, had a rough start. He allowed nine hits, including three gopher balls, which led to seven runs. Three were unearned due to a throwing error by a rehabbing Ji-Man Choi. Sullivan managed to get through four and two-thirds innings. He left with the score 7-1, Altoona having scored in the first on a double by Liover Peguero, a steal of third and a wild pitch.
In the bottom of the sixth the Curve picked up five to close to within a run. Abrahan Gutierrez and Matt Fraizer had RBI singles, Andres Alvarez had a sacrifice fly, and two runs scored due to a steal, a wild pickoff throw and a ground out.
Altoona got good bullpen work from Braeden Ogle and Cam Junker, who went an inning and a third and two innings, respectively, without giving up a run. In between, though, Bear Bellomy allowed two runs, one earned, largely due to three walks and an error. That made it 9-6.
The Curve got one run back in the eighth on an error and a passed ball, and another in the ninth on another error, a single and a ground out, but they left the tying run on third. Peguero finished with the double, two walks and two steals. He’s now 17-for-20 at thievery. Choi had a double in two times up before departing. His replacement, Jacob Gonzalez, had two hits. Fraizer also had two, plus a steal.
HIGH-A: GREENSBORO
Final Score: Greensboro 8, Winston-Salem 1
Player of the Game: Po-Yu Chen 7 IP, 6 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 3 K
Recap:Greensboro got a strong start from Po-Yu Chen and beat Winston-Salem easily, 8-1. Chen gave up a run over seven innings, on six hits and two walks. He struck out three. Since posting a 7.31 ERA in April, Chen has put up a 3.35 mark in May and June. Grant Ford threw the last two innings, fanning four.
The offense started the post-Cheng era well. An RBI triple by Mike Jarvis in the third, followed by a sacrifice fly, provided all the runs the Hoppers needed. Ernny Ordonez added on with a two-run bomb the next inning, his fourth home run of the year. Jarvis added his ninth with a man on in the seventh and Jase Bowen hit his 14th, a solo shot, in the eighth.
On the day, Jarvis had the triple and homer, and three RBIs. Bowen had three hits. Wyatt Hendrie had a single and a double, and Tres Gonzalez had two singles.
SINGLE-A: BRADENTON
Final Score: Lakeland 13, Bradenton 4
Player of the Game: Nick Cimillo 2-for-4, 2B
Recap:Bradenton got blown out by Lakeland, 13-4. It was definitely a team effort by the pitching staff. Luis Peralta needed 39 pitches to get two outs before leaving. He was charged with three runs, one of which scored after Joshua Loeschorn took over. Loeschorn went two and a third and allowed one run of his own. Five different pitchers followed, throwing one inning each. Only Yoldin De La Paz escaped unscathed. Owen Sharts had the worst time of it, giving up four runs on six hits and a walk.
The offense did some damage, but couldn’t keep up. Nick Cimillo had a single and a double, and Jesus Castillo had a pinch-hit, RBI double and also drew a walk. Termarr Johnson went 0-for-3 before leaving for a pinch hitter with the game out of hand. Shalin Polanco was 1-for-4.
ROOKIE: FCL PIRATES
Final Score: Pirates 6, Braves 0
Player of the Game: Michael Kennedy 3.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 6 K
Recap:The FCL Pirates got another good start from Michael Kennedy and shut out the Braves, 6-0. Kennedy threw three and a third scoreless innings, and now has allowed just one run and four hits through his first 10.2 IP. He’s struck out 17. Kennedy’s had some control problems and this game was no exception. A lot of deep counts in the first two innings ran up his pitch count, which probably led to an earlier exit than necessary. He still walked only one while allowing two hits. Both were triples and both should have been caught. Kennedy fanned six.
Keneth Quintanilla followed with two and two-thirds scoreless innings. Eliecer Romero threw two and Jorge Ramos one.
Despite some hard-hit balls, the offense wasn’t getting anywhere until the sixth, when Braylon Bishop doubled and Yordany De Los Santos followed with his first home run of the year. De Los Santos also had a single. Bishop reached two other times, once on a walk and the other on a bases-loaded bunt single. Rafael Escalante had two singles and Kelvin Diaz reached three times on two walks and a hit batsman.
ROOKIE: DSL PIRATES BLACK
Final Score: Red Sox Blue 5, Pirates Black 2
Player of the Game: Jarlen De La Paz 3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 5 K
Recap:Nearly all the scoring came in the first inning and a half as the Black team lost to the Red Sox, 5-2. The Sox got three in the top of the first and the Pirates came back with two in the bottom half on a home run by Carlos Caro, his first as a pro. The Sox got one in the top of the second, and that was all until the visitors got one in the top of the ninth.
Jonawel Valdez pitched the first two innings and gave up the first four runs, all of them unearned. The Pirates’ defense left a lot to be desired; they committed five errors, two by Valdez and three by shortstop Antonio Pimentel.
The bullpen did well. Lefty Jarlen De La Paz threw three perfect innings, fanning five. Ugandan David Matoma went two scoreless innings, giving up a hit and striking out one. Eduardo Zapata gave up a run while throwing the last two innings.
The offense produced only four hits. Catcher Jonathan Rivero, the Pirates’ top signing this year, had two and Angel Aquino one. Aquino and Caro each drew a walk.
ROOKIE: DSL PIRATES GOLD
Final Score: Pirates Gold 12, Tigers 1
Player of the Game: Yojeiry Osoria 4 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 8 K
Recap:The Pirates Gold got a great start from Yojeiry Osoria and blasted the Tigers, 12-1. Osoria has had nearly identical starts all three times out this year: four scoreless innings, one or two hits and one walk. The only difference is that his strikeout total keeps going up, from three to five to eight today.
Pitterson Rosa followed with a scoreless inning and two thirds. Rafael Mendez gave up a run while getting the last four outs. The trio fanned 15 total in the seven-inning game.
Carlos Tirado got the scoring started with a two-run home run in the first. It was his first longball of the season. He also walked three times. Fabian Urbina reached three times on two singles and a hit batsman, and drove in three. Ruben Vizcaya had a double, two walks, two runs and two RBIs. July Vittini had a single and two walks. Tony Blanco, Jr., had a double and a walk.
